Russian grain exports down 22.5% since July 1
MOSCOW. Sept 10 (Interfax) - Russia exported 6.8 million tonnes of grain in the July 1-September 9 period, 22.5% less than the 8.8 million tonnes it exported in the same period last year.
Wheat accounted for the bulk of the exports, 5.3 million tonnes, the head of the Agriculture Ministry's department for regulating the food market and food and food processing industry, Alexander Sirotkin, said in Moscow on Wednesday at a conference on grain and oil seeds in the Black Sea area in 2015-2016.
Russia also exported 1.3 million tonnes of barley, 204,000 tonnes of corn and 41,000 tonnes of other crops in the period.
The decline in exports stems from the situation on the market. Prices on grain have been declining since the beginning of the season. In particular, wheat has lost 30%," Sirotkin said.
Sirotkin confirmed the Agriculture Ministry's forecast that the gross grain harvest would total 102 million-103 million tonnes, "which is guaranteed to cover domestic demand and create export potential."